Watching Nadal and Del Potro slug it out, I almost wondered if both men shared a wardrobe. They both wore near identical clothes with the Nike logo splashed on every inch of available real-estate.
I am getting a little tired of this "logo overload". Not a moment goes by when I am not being bombarded by the signage of some company or the other. Sachin's bat, Tigers glove, LeBron's shoes.......
The reason is obvious: Companies think that you will buy a product because your favorite star is using it. It’s the oldest trick in the advertiser's handbook. What the marketers are doing is not so much selling a product as they are an entry into an exclusive club. If you wear Jordan's shoes then he and you will have something in common. Nobody ever pauses to wonder if there might be a cheaper or better alternative in the market.
We are absolutely surrounded by Ads 24/7. There will be times when you will not know that you are seeing/hearing an Ad! Ads are being disguised as news reports, as magazine articles and some as official research papers. You will see Ads in the movies (subtle product placements), Ads in your email (spam) and Ads in your mailbox (junk mail). Ads will target your hidden fears and your insecurities. They will make you buy stuff to make you feel good about yourself, to keep up with the Joneses, to fit in with the "In" crowd. They will make you buy creams to look fair and pills to loose weight.
I recently saw an Ad for a brand of diapers on TV. The mother is being told by the Dr. that her baby has a cold because the cloth diapers she has been using result in the baby staying wet and cold! Can you imagine the guilt that mothers who are watching will feel when they are told that they are not doing the most for their children? It’s been shown that using cloth diapers will mean your child is potty-trained much faster. Also, cloth diapers are way more environmentally friendly than the chemical-filled ones.
It will not be long before everything around us is one big advertisement. You will find Ads on your phone, Ads at the gas station while you wait to fill up. Our kids’ schools will have Ads in the form of sponsorships, books will be subsidized with Ads in the margins....there is no escape.
I see a glimmer of hope in the form of services like Yelp! and other review sites on the internet. That seems like the right way to find products and services: you talk to people who have similar needs/budgets and hear what their experience has been with a particular product.
In the mad rush to rent out every available inch of real-estate to the advertisers, it was refreshing to see two examples where people did not sell out.
Barcelona Football Club is one of the biggest soccer clubs in the world with a world-wide fan following. They could have sold space on their jerseys for millions. Instead their jersey sports the logo of Unicef and they donate almost 2 million dollars per year to Unicef!
Golfer Ryan Moore plays without looking like a walking billboard. He has no logo on his bag, on his shoes or on his hat. It is the most refreshing thing to see! He claims that he wants the freedom to use any product without being tied to a certain brand. He is loosing out on some big money by going the logo-free route. Let’s see how long he can resist the temptation of big bucks.
Here’s a link to a Wikipedia entry that talks about the origins and the history of advertising.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advertising
Monday, September 21, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Say something I want to hear!
There is no easier way to generate conflict then by just telling the truth. When it comes to dealing with people and relationships the rule is very clear: Always lie!
Now I do not mean big lies like:
"I was going to use the money to start an orphanage"
or
"I was holding the knife when he suddenly fell on it!"
No, I am talking about all the little half lies that any person with half a brain will say just to keep the status quo. We all have this skill and use it to great effect.For example.....
Q. "How do I look in this new dress, honey?"
What you really think is :
A:"Err....Like a color blind hooker who for some reason thinks that orange is the new black!"
What you end up saying:
A. Whoa! That looks killer on you!
Q. "How was the food, sir?"
What you really think:
A."Excellent! I am waiting for the heart attack from the oil....or I could just end it now by slitting my wrists with this hard piece of naan"
What you end up saying:
A. "Excellent! We will definitely come back again!"
These lies do not make us bad people. In fact, these lies are the glue that hold any relationship together. Think about it for a second: If you told your spouse EXACTLY what you felt, the moment you felt it, you wouldn't have a spouse. The same goes for your colleagues, your manager, your friends.....even your parents.
The fact of the matter is that people already know what they want to hear when they ask the question. So why not give it to them? The trick is to not ask a question that will force a person to lie. Do you really want to know what your friends think about you? Or what your wife finds most irritating about your behaviour?
Trust me , you are happier not knowing some of these answers!
Now I do not mean big lies like:
"I was going to use the money to start an orphanage"
or
"I was holding the knife when he suddenly fell on it!"
No, I am talking about all the little half lies that any person with half a brain will say just to keep the status quo. We all have this skill and use it to great effect.For example.....
Q. "How do I look in this new dress, honey?"
What you really think is :
A:"Err....Like a color blind hooker who for some reason thinks that orange is the new black!"
What you end up saying:
A. Whoa! That looks killer on you!
Q. "How was the food, sir?"
What you really think:
A."Excellent! I am waiting for the heart attack from the oil....or I could just end it now by slitting my wrists with this hard piece of naan"
What you end up saying:
A. "Excellent! We will definitely come back again!"
These lies do not make us bad people. In fact, these lies are the glue that hold any relationship together. Think about it for a second: If you told your spouse EXACTLY what you felt, the moment you felt it, you wouldn't have a spouse. The same goes for your colleagues, your manager, your friends.....even your parents.
The fact of the matter is that people already know what they want to hear when they ask the question. So why not give it to them? The trick is to not ask a question that will force a person to lie. Do you really want to know what your friends think about you? Or what your wife finds most irritating about your behaviour?
Trust me , you are happier not knowing some of these answers!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Let the games begin!
I am gobsmacked by what Usain Bolt has done on the track this year. He has obliterated the world records in both the 100m and 200m races and set times that seemed unreachable till he came along. To put things in perspective, Ben Johnson's run at the Seoul Olympics in 88 set a mark of 9.79 seconds. Since then in the last 20 years the record had dropped to 9.72 before Bolt destroyed it last month by running a 9.58!!!
Now the question being asked is - does he runs clean? A long history of exposed sprint stars has cast a shadow of doubt over Bolt's accomplishments. The adverse effects these PEDs (Performance Enhancing Drugs) can have on a person's body have been well documented yet the demand to succeed in an ultra-competitive environment means that there will always be people who will risk bodily harm and humiliation to achieve fame and glory.
Why the big hangup against PEDs? The thought is that any competition should be fair and the winner should have no unfair advantage over his or her fellow competitors. Add to that the fact that consuming PEDs can have harmful side-effects. Also mentioned is the risk of young people turning to PEDs to try and emulate their idols.
This brings me to my question: Will you stop watching if you knew somebody was taking a PED? Would you not watch a Federer showcase his exquisite skills if he was known to be taking something? Would you not watch Ronaldo play if it turned out that he was a coke head?
I for one would keep watching! In fact here is what I suggest: Lets have a world championship where the athletes can take whatever drug they want. Then there will be no whispers of athletes being tainted. Lets see how fast a human can run, jump or throw a javelin if he or she can use any means available. I don't care if someone shows up with two horns and hooves for feet!!! The fact of the matter is that everybody loves a freak show...... The TV rating will go through the roof!
Let the games begin!
P.S. - The issue of PEDs in sport is a hotly debated one. There are those that believe that PEDs should be legalized while others feel that users should be caught and penalised. I have posted a link below that sums up the arguments on both sides. The one aspect that is not talked about in any of the articles I have read is that sport today is a multi-billion dollar business that relies on the top players playing and producing their best. I do not think that potential advertisers will walk away from an event if it has players who are on PEDs but they certainly will stay away if the marque players are absent. The bottom line is that there will always be a viewership for events which have the best players and for events which have drama and great competition.
Pros and Cons of using and allowing PEDs
http://tinyurl.com/c7cv3q
Now the question being asked is - does he runs clean? A long history of exposed sprint stars has cast a shadow of doubt over Bolt's accomplishments. The adverse effects these PEDs (Performance Enhancing Drugs) can have on a person's body have been well documented yet the demand to succeed in an ultra-competitive environment means that there will always be people who will risk bodily harm and humiliation to achieve fame and glory.
Why the big hangup against PEDs? The thought is that any competition should be fair and the winner should have no unfair advantage over his or her fellow competitors. Add to that the fact that consuming PEDs can have harmful side-effects. Also mentioned is the risk of young people turning to PEDs to try and emulate their idols.
This brings me to my question: Will you stop watching if you knew somebody was taking a PED? Would you not watch a Federer showcase his exquisite skills if he was known to be taking something? Would you not watch Ronaldo play if it turned out that he was a coke head?
I for one would keep watching! In fact here is what I suggest: Lets have a world championship where the athletes can take whatever drug they want. Then there will be no whispers of athletes being tainted. Lets see how fast a human can run, jump or throw a javelin if he or she can use any means available. I don't care if someone shows up with two horns and hooves for feet!!! The fact of the matter is that everybody loves a freak show...... The TV rating will go through the roof!
Let the games begin!
P.S. - The issue of PEDs in sport is a hotly debated one. There are those that believe that PEDs should be legalized while others feel that users should be caught and penalised. I have posted a link below that sums up the arguments on both sides. The one aspect that is not talked about in any of the articles I have read is that sport today is a multi-billion dollar business that relies on the top players playing and producing their best. I do not think that potential advertisers will walk away from an event if it has players who are on PEDs but they certainly will stay away if the marque players are absent. The bottom line is that there will always be a viewership for events which have the best players and for events which have drama and great competition.
Pros and Cons of using and allowing PEDs
http://tinyurl.com/c7cv3q
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
A Few Good Men.
Have you ever been inspired by a single person to the point where you are willing to follow this person to the end of the earth? Ever been so influenced by this person's vision and philosophy that it has changed your life? This power to inspire and move a large group of people is very rare and never has there been a time when we need an inspirational figure to rally around as there is now.
Where are the Gandhis, the MLKs, the Mandelas......leaders who could mobilize an entire nation.
Could it be that we have become a cynical bunch who would never believe anybody who stood up on a soapbox and offered us deliverance from all that ails us? Could it be that we have it so good that we do not need a great leader to rise and lead us? Could it be that it is only when things get really bad that the great leaders amongst us arise? Surely that cannot be true. India and its poor are in dire straits and she could do with a leader with an inspirational message that rings true for people from all across the country. Or could it be that the Mayavatis and the Lalloos are thought of as exactly these types of leaders?! Scary thought!!
The fact is that people like to be led. They want someone to believe in and pin their hopes on. There are numerous examples of movie stars having success in politics because people believe that their on-screen persona (brave, honest) is how they really are! That's the same reason why Oprah Winfrey has such a wide following amongst women (black and white). That's the same reason why Diego Maradona can come to Calcutta and bring the city to a screeching halt and why Rajanikant can decide an election just by uttering a few words of support for a particular candidate.
Speaking of leaders, Obama is being thought of as "The One". He has the captured the collective consciousness of the country and he could rise and be great if he wanted to. Or he could end up being just your typical politician.
I once asked a friend if he had ever been inspired by anybody and he mentioned Jesus Christ. I envy those that can put their trust in a religion and expect to be shown the light. Personally, I prefer my leaders to walk the earth in my time.
Where are the Gandhis, the MLKs, the Mandelas......leaders who could mobilize an entire nation.
Could it be that we have become a cynical bunch who would never believe anybody who stood up on a soapbox and offered us deliverance from all that ails us? Could it be that we have it so good that we do not need a great leader to rise and lead us? Could it be that it is only when things get really bad that the great leaders amongst us arise? Surely that cannot be true. India and its poor are in dire straits and she could do with a leader with an inspirational message that rings true for people from all across the country. Or could it be that the Mayavatis and the Lalloos are thought of as exactly these types of leaders?! Scary thought!!
The fact is that people like to be led. They want someone to believe in and pin their hopes on. There are numerous examples of movie stars having success in politics because people believe that their on-screen persona (brave, honest) is how they really are! That's the same reason why Oprah Winfrey has such a wide following amongst women (black and white). That's the same reason why Diego Maradona can come to Calcutta and bring the city to a screeching halt and why Rajanikant can decide an election just by uttering a few words of support for a particular candidate.
Speaking of leaders, Obama is being thought of as "The One". He has the captured the collective consciousness of the country and he could rise and be great if he wanted to. Or he could end up being just your typical politician.
I once asked a friend if he had ever been inspired by anybody and he mentioned Jesus Christ. I envy those that can put their trust in a religion and expect to be shown the light. Personally, I prefer my leaders to walk the earth in my time.
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